Back-rail and traction locomotive.



N. n. LEVIN. Y RACK BAIL AND TRAGTIOB LUUMTIVE. APPLICATION FILEI JAX. 28. 100?.

909,430. Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

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N. D. LEVIN.

RAUK BAIL AND TRAOTION LOGOHOTIVB.

Armour man un. as, 1901.

909,430.A mennen Jan. 12, 1909.

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provided b 'wlieel a gear D1,

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

or calorico, ILLINOIs, AssIGNOn ro GOODMAN MANUFACTURING or ILLINOIS.

NILS DAVID LEVIN,

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION BACK-RAIL AND 'DRACTION LOCOMO'PIVE.

No. 909,430. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application led January 2B, 1907. Serlal No. 354,428.

lillustrated, there is associated with each a citil clutch member D a controllin member which is preferably forked and is provided with pins D which `fit in'grooves in t e To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, NiLs D. LnvIN, zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, l in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, I

have invented a certain new and useful lmi clutch members D3 so as to allow the rotation ,movement in Rack-Rail and Traction Locothereof, and still provide means for moving moti vos, of which the following is a speciit along the axle. The controllin members D* are mounted upon the shaft so that their osition may be controlled by moving said s aft. In view of the fact that the track wheels and sprocket wheels are of diierent diameters, and since in each locomotive there are two clutches connected with the shaft, the probability of the clutches registering simul taneously is remote and hence some means must be provided for securin a proper engagement of the clutch mem hen decation.

This invention relates to rack rail andi traction locomotives and has for its object to provide a new and improved device o this description.

The invention is illustrated in the accom-- panying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a system embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through one of the locomotives with parts omitted. Fig 3 1s a sired. This result is secured by elasticallv view showing the part for throwing the connectin the controlling members D wit clutch out of gear. f* and by loosely mounting them the shaft i u on said shaft and' providing springs D7 w ich are fastened at one end to the shaft and at the other end to the controlling mem- By this construction the shaft may ber moved to what would correspond to the closed position of the clutches even when the clutch members do not register, this movement simply putting a pressure upon the clutch members. As soon as the wheels have turned so that they do re ister th' pressure causes, the clutch mem ers D to move into enga ement with the opposedclutchmembers z.

The clutch members Vare provided with means for throwing them out of gear. his may be accomplished in any desired manner, as, for example, byproviding a projection C3 arranged so as to engage th Each clutch member has associated with it a1 projection This proj tened upon a car attached to the shaft D". When the members into en agement these roections- C3 are so locate as to be out o t e wa When the shaft is moved in the opposite irection they engage the members and move them out of engagement.

Some suitable means is provided for mov ing the shaft D as, for example,- the levers Gr.V When single units are use can be moved by hand or in anyotherdesired manner. When a pluiality of locomotives are used the various clutches are preferabl controlled by the operator from acentra position. s shown in Like arts are indicated by the same letters in a lthe figures.

When the locomotive is running u on a heavy grade it is arranged so that it is riven by means ol a sprocket wheeland rack rail l and, when the grade is light the rack rail is omitted or lotherwise rendered inoperative and the locomotive is driven by the track wheels. The track and sprocket wheels are of different diameters and the motor is arranged so that it may be connecter with either one or the other so as to mak1 a rack rail drive or a traction drive.

Referring now to 'the drawings, there are l illustrated in Fig. 1 two locomotives, A and l B. Each of these locomotives is provided with track wheels C and sprocket wheels D. The sprocket wheels are arranged to en age l the rack rail E As illustrated, each ax e is with a sprocket wheel. y vThese sprocket wheelsD are loose upon the axles and are connected to the driving motor F, in i any desired manner so as to be driven there- There is connected with each sprocket said gear bei-ng connected by suitable gearing with. the motor. Connected with each sprocket wheel is a clutch member l Dz which rotates therewith. f Opposed to the l clutch member D7l is another clutch member Dl which is feathered or otherwise fastened to the axle so as to rotate therewith. Some suitable means is provided for controlling the clutch members so as to move them into' and out of engagement. Any suitable means for this purpose may be used. As herein Fig.

d these levers 106 1 the operar 110 wardly so as to ro l tor stands upon the platform H which is located between any two of the locomotives. This platform referably contains the controllers H for t e motors on the various locomotives and is also provided with the contro g means for the clutches which may he of any suitable descriptlon. As hereln shown these clutches are controlled by means of air. A compressor I is located on the platform H and each locomotive is provided with a controlling c linder I1 connected in the system so as to e properly supplied with air. There is also referably an air chamber or reservoir J. lgipes I5 lead to one end of the c linders I1 and pi es I lead to the other end thereof, the ipes eing controlled by valves I', I". By t arran ement air can be admitted to either end o the cylinders so as to move the istons therein. 'lhese pistons are connecte by rods K, cranks K and links K2 with the controlling levers G for the shafts D". he use and o eration o`f this invention are as follows: en the locomotive is on a heavy ade, the s rocket wheels D engage the ra-:r H and the locomotives are thus driven through the s rocket wheels and rack rail. When the gra e becomes light or the track is substantially level, the rack is omitted and the sprocket wheel therefore comes inoperative when it runs off the racks and the locomotives a`re driven from the track wheels by bringing the clutch members De and Ds into engagement. hen the clutch members are controlled from the central platform they are brought into engagement by opening the valve 1. This rmits the an' to enter the cylinders I andauses the istons to be driven d'owncl; the shafts Dc through the evers G which are rigidly connected therewith. This movement of the shaft puts a tension upon the sprin s l)1 which press the clutch members to et er and as soon as they register the e utch members Da are forced mto en agement with the clutch members D', t us connecting the track Wheels with the motor throu h the sprocket Wheels. Since the track whee s are of greater diameter than the sprocket wheels, 1t will be seen that a greater speed will thus be secured on the lighter ades. It will further be seen that if t e clutch members are brought into engagement when the sprocket wheels are stlll in engagement h the rack a braka e will result because of the difference of 51e diameters of the sprocket and track wheels for when they are thus both connected to the motor there is an enforced sli page of the It will be seen t at both these effects are produced by very simple mechanism and without ha e the .connection tween the motor and t e sprocket wheel for the sprocket wheel is ways connected to the motor and the sprocket wheel and track wheels.,

track wheels are connected together when the clutch members are in engagement. It will further be seen that any number of locomotives may thus be connected together and the mechanism operated from the cen ter position or platform.

W ien in the specification and claims the sprocket wheels and track wheels are said to be of different diameters it is to be understood that this means' that the diameter of the tread of the track wheels is diierent from the pitch diameter of the sprocket wheels.

.["claim:

1. A locomotive comprising a motor, two axles each provided with track wheels, a sprocket wheel rotatably mounted upon each axle, said sprocket wheelsgo eratively connected with said motor, olutdh members 84ssociated with each sprocket wheel, opposed clutch members connected as to rotate therewith, a controlling devioe for each of said latter clutch members,` said controlling members elastically connected witllss the means by which they) are 00ntrolled. ff*

2. The combination with a lurality of locomotives each provided witi motors and sprocket wheels o eratively connected therewith, track wheels with clutch devices for connecting and disconnecting the sprocket wheels and track wheels, of means for o er ating sai`d clutch devices from a centra or common point said means elastically connected with the clutch device 8. combination with a plurality of l for epe'iatively and posltively connect' e sprocket and track wheels together, lgeoxb trolling greans located at a predetermined point andadapted to control the connect' mechanism on all locomotives said contr ling mins elastically connected with the mechanism for connecting the sprocket and track wheel to ether. heegm ination with a pluralityofA locomotives each rovided with a sprocket wheel, track whee s, clutches for connect and discljinecting the sprocket and traud wheels, arid an air cylinder for controllingair cylinders on all said locomotives.

combined traction and rack rail lo` comotive` com rising a motor, a driv sprocket whee operatively connected wit said motor, track wheels associated with the locomotive, a clutch device com members, one associated with t e s rocket wheel and the other with the track w eels, a controlling device for one of such clutch members, and an elastic connection between such controlling device and the clutch member.

with the axle so rising two o'. A combined traction end 'rack rail locomotive comprising e motor, a s rocket wheel o eratively connected with sai motor, track w eels associated with the locomotive, e clutch device comprising two members, one essocieted with the sprocket wheel und the ok 1er with the track wheels, a controlling d rico for one of such clutch members mow ably connected therewith, und u spring con-- nesting the oontfolling device with ,the clutch member.

7.. A combined traction und ruck mil loc-omotive comprising o motor, o sprocket wheel operatively connected with Suid motor, truck wheels associated with the locomotive, e clutch device comirising two clutch members, one associate with the sprocket wheel und the other with the tmok wheels, :i shaft mounted upon said locomotive, means fox' rocking Suid shaft, and u spring connected with said shaft find one of said clutch mem-` bers, the tension o which is varied -by the reletive movement of the shaft `und the clutch member.

NIU-3 DAVID LEV I .N Witnesses:

FAUNA Kl REYNULDS, DUNALU M. CARTER. 

